Learner Dad: I want to walk around Cork with my kids as if we were a family of ducks

Picture: iStock 

THE passeggiata in Italy is where parents dress up their gorgeous kids and wander around the streets looking elegant on a summer’s evening, at a time when northern Europeans would be planning to put our own gorgeous kids into bed. My favourite detail is the way the Italians buy the ir kids ice cream, just in case there is any chance they’ll go to sleep before 2am. Anyway, I’ve had an awful hankering to do a bit of passeggiata with my kids, ever since we emerged from Level 5 at the start of the month. I want to walk around Cork with my kids as if we were a family of ducks.

My plan includes burger and chips and a trip up the Ferris wheel on the Grand Parade. But mainly I just want to be out among the people with my family, parading around like ducks. It’s not a show-off thing - everyone has lovely kids - it’s more about the connection we make, hooking our little gang up to other little gangs to give us a bit of that Christmas feeling. This connection will be a little bit more distanced this year, but having the city open for business again has put me in the festive mood. So here’s to the passeggiata.